Bengal poll officials go to CEO over Trinamool leader's threats

Kolkata: An association of polling officials on Saturday approached West Bengal's Chief Electoral Officer seeking stringent measures, including house arrest, against Trinamool Congress' Birbhum district chief Anubrata Mondal to ensure free and fair polls on Monday.

"We have information that ruling party leader Anubrata Mondal is threatening polling officials to conduct polls in his party's favour. Also there is information regarding removal of central forces in case they become too active in any booth," an association of poll officials said in a written complaint.

For free and fair elections, they requested the CEO to take stringent measures and to "keep the said leader under house arrest".

They wanted the commission to ensure that Mondal is unable to communicate and influence the poll process.

A BJP delegation led by party leader Jay Prakash Majumdar on Friday had filed a complaint against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee as she "advised her followers to conduct elections with intimidations and threats" during a public meeting in Birbhum's Suri.

"This was a serious violation of MCC, where the Chief Minister of the state and chairperson of Trinamool Congress was instigating her workers to take the course of violence in the election," the BJP said in its complaint.

Addressing Mondal by his nickname 'Keshto', Banerjee had said: "Keshto, if anyone instigates you, threaten a bit. BJP party office controls everything, which they had done last time. Fight like a tiger cub."

All security measures will be in place to ensure safety and security of the voters and poll officials, a source in the commission said, adding that the BJP's complaint will be addressed like all other complaints.